moments after president obama was declared the victor, the money struggle in washington stole the spotlight as lawmakers debated over how to avert the fiscal cliff. mother nature took a toll on several parts of the country this year. superstorm sandy ripped through the northeast in late october, leaving a trail of damage along the way. the storm racked up damage of around $60 billion, making it the second most expensive storm ever for the u.s., following hurricane katrina. the storm destroyed houses and businesses on the east coast, leaving millions without power. just months earlier, crop prices shot up following a massive drought that hit the midwest and some northern states. weeks without rain sent corn and soybean prices sky-high. it was estimated that the drought was the worst in nearly a quarter of a century. 2012 was not without its controvesies. trading scandals rocked the news, highlighted by jpmorgan chase. the big bank lost more than $2 billion in what was called "a trading debacle." ceo jamie dimon took a trip to capitol hill for a testimony where he told senators that the indus